It’s Jamie again from Sew Brainy Designs! Last year I brought you a bunch of modern pillow patterns that I hope you had fun making. And guess what…I’m back again with more pillows this year! In case you missed 2022 pillow fun, you can click the link below. New this year is a fun Facebook Group so we can all sew along together! The group is brand new and I hope you’ll join and sew along with me.
September’s pillow used flying geese and that came together to form zig zags. In case you missed it, click on the link below to check it out.
September’s block uses squares and rectangles for fun geometric design that kind of has an improv look.
More fun movement! The blocks look kind of like they are floating.
This pattern would be great for scraps or fussy cutting novelty fabric!
Blues and greens are always one of my favorite combos.
I did a 1/2″ grid quilting with Aurifil 50wt. white thread for this fantastic texture!
This month’s pillow features Shabby fabric by Lori Holt. The colors I used (in order from top to bottom) were Turtle, Jade, Alpine, Sea Glass, Peacock, Vivid, Soldier, and Denim.
This is my absolute favorite fabric for getting a stained glass look or a water look!
Now let’s make a pillow!
October 2023 Pillow Tutorial
Pattern Notes
- Please read through all instructions before beginning.
- Seam allowances are 1/4″ unless specified.
- RST = Right Sides Together
- Press all seams open (or in preferred direction) unless specified.
- To avoid confusion, there is no Fabric I.
Material Requirements
For the block (pillow top):
This pattern uses (1) BACKGROUND fabric [FABRIC A] and (8) ACCENT fabrics [FABRICS B-J]. Below are the requirements to make ONE 18″ block.
For the pillow body:
- (1) 22-24″ square piece of muslin or other fabric (for quilting the top)
- (1) 22-24″ square piece of batting (for quilting the top)
- (2) 13½” × 18½” pieces of backing fabric (for the pillow envelope)
- (1) 20″ pillow form (my favorite one to use is the FJÄDRAR from IKEA!)
Cutting Directions
From BACKGROUND FABRIC A, cut:
(1) 2½” × WOF, subcut:
- (8) 2½” × 3″ [A5]
- (8) 1½” × 2″ [A1]
(3) 1¾” × WOF, subcut:
- (16) 1¾” × 5″ [A4]
- (16) 1¾” × 2½” [A3]
(1) 1½ ” × WOF, subcut:
- (8) 1½” × 5″ [A2]
From each of the ACCENT FABRICS B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J cut:
- (1) 3″ square [B3, C3, D3, E3, F3, G3, H3, J3]
- (1) 2½” squares [B2, C2, D2, E2, F2, G2, H2, J2]
- (1) 1½” × 3½” [B1, C1, D1, E1, F1, G1, H1, J1]
Piecing Directions
This pattern has 3 different blocks – A, B, and C. A BLOCKS only have one accent color pieces. B BLOCKS and C BLOCKS each have 2 accent color pieces and are mirror images of each other. Some B & C BLOCKS will be rotated 90 degrees throughout the pattern. It may help to pre-plan fabric location before sewing the blocks.
CREATING THE A BLOCKS
1. To make (1) A BLOCK, lay out (2) A3, (2) A4, and (1) C2 as shown below.
2. Sew (1) A3 on the left and right sides of the C2 square. Press seams.
3. Sew (1) A4 on the top and bottom of the previous unit. Press seams.
4. Trim to 5″ square if needed.
5. Repeat STEPS 1-4 to make a total of (8) A BLOCKS.
CREATING THE B BLOCKS
6. To make (1) B BLOCK, lay out (1) A1, (1) A2, (1) A5, (1) B1, and (1) C3 as shown below.
7. Sew the A5 and C3 pieces together. Press the seam.
8. Sew the A1 and B1 pieces together. Press the seam.
9. Sew the A5/C3 on top of the A2 strip. Press the seam.
10. Sew the B1/A1 unit to the bottom of the previous unit. Press the seam.
11. Trim to 5″ square if needed.
12. Repeat STEPS 6-11 to create a total of (4) B BLOCKS.
CREATING THE C BLOCKS
13. To make a C BLOCK, lay out (1) A1, (1) A2, (1) A5, (1) E1, and (1) J3 as shown below.
*NOTE* – this block is a mirror image of the B Block.
14. Sew the A5 and J3 pieces together. Press the seam.
15. Sew the A1 and E1 pieces together. Press the seam.
16. Sew the J3/A5 on top of the A2 strip. Press the seam.
17. Sew the A1/E1 unit to the bottom of the previous unit. Press the seam.
18. Trim to 5″ square if needed.
19. Repeat STEPS 13-18 to create a total of (4) C BLOCKS.
20. Lay out all (12) A, B, and C BLOCKS as shown below. Sew the (4) units in each row together and press seams.
NOTE: Before you sew, double check the B/C block placement and the rotation of the blocks.
21. Sew all (4) rows together and press seams.
22. Your block is now complete!
23. Layer the completed block on top of the 22-24″ batting and muslin squares and quilt the pillow top as desired. When you are done, trim the block to 18½”.
Note – if you add dense quilting, your top may shrink a bit in size. Just trim it to the largest square that you can. You can trim the width of envelope backing fabric a bit in the next step if needed in order to match your actual top size.
24 Create a finished edge on the long side of each of the (2) 13½″ × 18½” pieces of envelope backing by folding 1/2″ of fabric over the wrong side TWICE. Stitch a seam near the edge to secure it.
25. With the square top facing up, layer the envelope pieces RST on top of it as shown below and sew a 3/8″ seam around the edge of the pillow top.
26. Trim the edges of the corners a bit to reduce bulk. Turn the pillow case inside out and insert your pillow form. Your pillow is now done! Enjoy your fun modern make!
I can’t wait to see all the beautiful pillows everyone makes! They can be very addicting! Be sure to share them on social media! #makeitmodernpillows #iloverileyblake #sewbrainydesigns.
If you check out my blog, I have some more color mockups and some freebie coloring pages you can download. Plus a sneak peek of a companion quilt pattern for this block that’s coming soon!
I’ll see you in November with Bee Vintage Fabric and some long strips! Don’t forget to join us in the Facebook Group!
Until later, happy quilting!
Jamie
Jamie is the creative brain behind Sew Brainy Designs. This self-proclaimed science nerd loves bright colors, big blocks, Mid-century modern design, and using as few seams as possible. Find all of her Make It Modern Pillows on the Riley Blake Designs blog!